Apparatus for treating and aging fabrics



Aug. 11, 1931. E. s. CHAPlN APPARATUS :IFOR TREATING AND AGING FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 18. 1930 INVENTOR [OW/7:90 8. CAMP/M BY WM HIS ATTORNEYS.

ll ulI-ll Aug. 11, 1931. E. s. CHAPIN 1,313,041

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND AGING FABRICS Filed June 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Shet 2 zommo s. elm/m1.

HIS" 'A'ITORNEYS Patented Au 11, 1931 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE EDWARD s. omrm, or rawrcoxn'r, anonn rsnnnn, assremon To win new COMPANY, a CORPORATION or uassacausnr'rs arranarosron TREATING m AGING FABRICS Application filed June 18,

This invention relates generall to thetreatment of fabrics composed 0 various materials, such as cotton, silk, rayon, wool or mixtures of said materials. It is particu-, larly applicable to the treatment of fabrics where an aging action through a reduction of the dyes'is desired. -It especially relates to the treatment of fabrics having thereon vat color prints or dyesand to discharge prints or other fabrics where the conversion of the dyes or chemicals used in printing or dyeing, into fixed patterns and uniform colors is necessary. a 1

This inventlon relates particularly to 1mproved apparatus used in connection with the rocess-of aging as described in the co pen ing application of Edward S. Chapin and Areli H. J acoby, Serial No. 462,047 filed concurrently on June 18, 1930, wherein a substantially closed chamber is supplied with an atmosphere of steam which excludes air and particularly oxygen so that the organic dyes are converted into theleuco bases.

Generally speaking, the present invention comprises means for supplying a definite and controllable amount of steam vapors at points between the runs of the fabric in an ager where the excess heat is more actively generated.

The means for accomplishing this object and its relation to the entire process of aging is more fully set forth in said co-pending application and it will not therefore be necessary to repeat the same at this point, except insofar as the means herein described may relate to the present claims.

It should be realized that when steam used in an ager is to any considerable extent superheated, it tends to rise in accordance with well known physical laws. This causes the superheated steam to accumulate between the runs ofthe fabric in the upper portion of the ager, particularly where the runs pass horizontally from one roll to another.

It is therefore one object-of the present invention to supply not only water, but to introduce steam and to so control the action thereof between the runs of the fabric that the temperature will not be raised to an undesirable degree so as to produce the most 1930. Serial H0. "462,048.

efficient aging action where the su ply of the proper quantity and quality 0 steam has commonly been deficient. Water aprons have been described and illustrated in Patents N 0's. 1,663,845 and 1,663,846, anted in the name of R. W. J acoby, on arch 27, 1928. These aprons enable water to be introduced between the runs of the fabric at points where the generation of objectionable high temperatures have occurred and enable the steam which has become superheated by the reactions of the dyes and the fabric, to absorb" moisture and thereby increase the moisture content of such steam. This principle is availed of in the present improvements, but certain additions have ing the subject matter of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig 3 is a transverse sectional view of the apron or casing taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig 2, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the upper portion of the device as shown in Fig. 3. Fig.5 is an elevation of the right-hand lower portion of the ager shown in Fig. 2 indicating the pipe connections. 7

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a casing of'sheet material, which forms the body of the ager and which is covered with a suitable heat insulating material 2, to prevent the escape of heat. At the upper i left hand side of the ager is an opening 3 through which the cloth may enter and emerge from the interior of the ager. The opening '3 is provided with means to suck away the steam which would tend to be discharged through said opening, said means preferably comprising a fan or other form of suction device 4. having a pipe 5 leading from the interior of ahorizontal hood 6 which is adiacent the opening 3 through which the cloth passes when entering and emerging from the ager.

The top portion of the ager is provided with a plurality of hollow heating plates 7 which are adapted to be heated by steam in v the well known manner.

The interior of the ager is provided with two series of rolls 8 and 8 over which the cloth to be aged passes successively in substantially parallel runs. After entering through the opening 3 as indicated in Fig. 1 and pas in 3 over the rolls 8 and S to the end of the agcr, the fabric passes over rolls 9 which are provided to support the fabric as it returns toward said-opening 3. The means for supplying moist steam under the necessary pressure and temperature to the main tween the runs of the fabric than are provided between the subsequent rolls toward the right hand of the ager. This separation of the rolls results in two advantages. In the first place, the spaces above the horizontal runs of the fabric which pass between the lower rolls allow a rapid circulation of the steam vapors in the spaces between the upper rolls so that they may be easily withdrawn by the suction of the fan; consequently, the space below the runs passing between the upper rolls a lows the introduction of aprons 13 which have been referred to above. These aprons are preferably constructed as indicated more particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. It will be seen that there is a rectangular casing 13 preferably' made of wire mesh screen material, srch as copper, brass or other suitable metal. This is supported on suitable metallic frames 1'4 and is closed at the ends and top.

A pipe 15 passes through the upper portion of this casing, which pipe is preferably slotted at its upper side as indicated at 16. This pipe is supplied with water from the main no water snpplv pi e 17 and in the pipe connections of valves 18 for controlling the flow of water.

The pipe 15 ha suitable supports 19 on'the walls of the casing 1 and since the said supply pipe passes through holes in the casing 13, the casing is thereby supported in vertical position. Collars 20 are placed upon the pipe 15 to prevent-the casing 13 from sliding longitudinally thereon and are preferably attached to said casing by soldering or otherwise.

The casing 13 is preferably composed of three or four layers of wire mesh so as to more effeztively equalize and distribute the flow of moist vapors therethrough,. as will hereafter be more fully described. The left hand manifold 10 has a series of nipples which connect with the valves 21 and the latter are connected with T pipe connections 22.

One out-let of these T connections carry pipes 23 which connect with vertical pipe 24. These pipe connections and the valves are preferably of the two in h size. The other outletsof the T connections 22'carry pipes 25 having valves 26, which connect with a live or high-pressure steam manifold 27, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereafter. k

The upper portion of the pipes 24 carry three more or less. horizontal branches 28, 29 and 30, the ends of which are closed as indicated in 2 and 4, and each of which are provided with series of perforations or holes through which the steam may escape. These holes are preferably more numerous in the upper branches 30, less numerous in the branches 29 and still less numerous in the branches 28. These pipes as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 are located between the two sides of the wire mesh apron or casing 13 and are preferably adjacent to or above the center of the casing and directly beneath the pipe 15. The valves 21 are provided for the purpose of controlling the flow of the steam to the pipes 23 and the branches 29 and 30 connected therewith. It should be noted that there are three sets of casings 13 and each has a corresponding steam supply pipe located between the sides thereof and a water pipe 15 loated at the top thereof. Obviously. the number of these pipes and casings may be varied according to the requirements of a particular ager designed for a particular or special use. In an ager in which threc'or more aprons are provided, any number of them may be placed in operation or may be made inactive as de' sired according to whether or not the steam .and water are admitted thereto.

The operation. of this portion of the ager will now be described:

Assuming that the ager has been started, and the internal atmosphere thereof generally provided with the necessary amount.- of steam vapor through the steam supply pipes at the bottom of the ager. the passage of the warm moist vapors of the ager. This conversion owing to the physical and chemical reactions, which take lace within the ager, produces a considera le amount of excess heat, as has been explained in the'prior patents above mentioned. This production of excess heat occurs at times with almost explosive force in the forward part of the ager soon after the cloth enters the sa e, and at this point, the neutraliation, abs rption and dissipation of the heat is required a greater extent. This is the reason that the special means in the form of aprons and wider spaces between the runs above described have been provided. The flow of water through the pipes 17 and 15 allows the water to escape through-theslot 16 at the top of the pipe 15, and it accordingly runs or trickles downward over the sides of the pipe in a greater or less volume, according to the adjustment of the valve 18. The steam pipes 33, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 supply steam, preferably of comparatively low pressure and of the required moisture content to the space between the sides of the casing or apron 43,

- and thereby produces a continuous How of vapors outward through the sides of the casing or aprons.

The water, which, has above been referred to as flowing downward from the pipes 15, will therefore come in contact with the steam escaping through the holes in the pipes 28, 29 and 30, and will cause vaporization of the latter, which action will still further increase the saturation or water content of such steam vapors. Ifsteam is not allowed to flow through the pipes28, 29 and 30, they will act as battles and distribute the water upon the apron 15.

Ordinarily the temperature of the Water introduced to the pipe 15 is comparatively low, that is, little if any above atmospheric temperature, but obviously it may be raised to a higher point, if deemedadvisable under certain conditions. The steam is therefore much cooler than steam that could be introduced by allowing it to expand entirely outside of the ager. 1

The action of this moist steam between the sides of the apron or casing is an. expansive one, and therefore tends to pass through the mesh of the wire screen, until it reaches the fabric or at least reaches the vicinity of any superheated vapors which may be produced on account of the chemical and physical re actions occuring within the fabric and dyes.

If it be necessary to use more dry or high pressure steam than that supplied through the manifolds 33, then the valves 21 may be closed and the valves 25 opened. This will allow live steam from the manifold 27 to pass into the pipes 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30. Water from the pipe may be allowed to mix with such steam if its temperature and dryness be too great for the aging required adpors directly to the points where they aremost active, enables the neutralization, ab-

sorption and dissipation of the excess heat produced to take place very efficiently and accurately, in accordance with the amount of temperature and moisture required.

It will also be appreciated that by reason of the control of the water supply, and of the steam supply through a manipulation of the valves 18, 21 and 26, both the water and the steam can be controlled to a nicety. thereby enabling the temperature to be fixed at any desired point, that may be necessary for a particular kind of goods being treated. and this temperature may be set substantially at any point between 212 or 213 and 235 or 240 Fahrenheit, and may be maintained at such point substantially continuously during the period of run of the ager, independently of the variations in the conditions which have ordinarly existed in the commonly used agers.

The apparatus thus provided is therefore extremely flexible and capable of being manipulated at will to produce the best results; This has been determined hv actual practical operation of an agar, provided with the apparatus herein described, and it has been found to be eminently superior to'any a ring both in the depth of color and economy of dves that were never before accomplished or thought possible.

Having thus described this form of my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. .ln combination with an apparatus for treating or aging fabric which includes an aging box or chamber, two series of rolls over which the fabric is adapted to pass, to form spaces beween the runs thereof, an apron of porous material, located in a zone between the runs of fabric formed by said rolls, and means for introducing vapors of an evaporable liquid within the interior of said apron.

2. In combination with an apparatus for treating or aging fabric which includes an aging box or chamber, two series of rolls over which the fabric is adapted to pass, to form spaces between the runs thereof, an apron of reticulated material, located in a zone be tween the runs of fabric formed by said rolls, and means for introducing vapors of an If not, the water may evaporable liquidwithin the interior of said apron.

3. In combination with an apparatus for treating or aging @fabric which includes an aging ox or chamber, two series of rolls over which the fabric is adapted to pass, to form spaces between the runs thereof, an apron of wire screening located in a zone between the runs of fabric formed by said rolls,

and means for introducing vapors of an evaporable liquid within the interior of said apron.

4. In combination with an apparatus'for treating or aging fabric which includes an aging box or chamber, two series of rolls over which the fabric is adapted to pass to form spaces between the runs thereof, an apron of porous material located in a vertical zone between the runs formed by said rolls, means for introducing steam vapors within the interior of said apron, and means for varying the moisture content of said vapors.

5. In combination with an apparatus for 4 treating or aging fabric which includes an which the fabric isadapted to pass to form' spaces between the runs thereof, an apron of wire screening located in a vertical zone between the runs formed by said rolls, means for introducing steam vapors within the interior of said apron, and means for varying the moisture content of said vapors.

7. In combination with an apparatus for treating or aging fabric which ncludes an aging box or chamber, two series of rolls'over which the fabric is adapted to pass to form spaces between the runs thereof, an apron of i'edculated material located in a vertical zone between the runs of fabric formed by said rolls, and means for forming moist steam vapors within the interior of said apron.

8. In combination with an apparatus for treating or aging fabric which includes an aging box or chamber, two series'of rolls over which the fabric is adapted to pass to form spaces between the runs thereof, an apron of reticulated material located in a vertical zone between the runs of fabric formed by said rolls, means for introducing moist vapors within said apron, and means for introduc ing an evaporable liquid within said apron.

9. In combination with an ap 'a'ratus for treating or aging fabric which includes an aging box or chamber, two'series of rolls over which. the fabric is adapted to pass to form spaces between the runs thereof, an apron of reticulated material located in a vertical zone between the runs of fabric formed by said rolls, means for introducing steam vapors within the interior of said apron, and means for introducing water within said apron to contact with said steam vapors.

10. In combination with an apparatus'for treating or aging fabric which includes an aging box or chamber, two series of rolls over which the fabric is adapted to ass, certain of said rolls being separated to orm a space between the runs of said fabric, an apron of reticulated material located in the vertical zone between said runs, a pipe having openings for introducing steam vapors within the interior of said apron and a pipe within said apron and having an outlet whereby water is caused to contact with the steam vaporsv from said first mentioned pipe, said aprons causing a uniform distribution of said vapors through said material and into the spaces adjacent said runs.

In witness whereof I have signed my name this 29th day of May, 1930.

EDWARD S. CHAPIN. 

